We Need Each Other
by magical-flyingdragon
Summary: a bunch of angsty teens are trying to rebuild their shattered lives with the help of a special "refuge for troubled youths" very sad... im not sure of the ending yet but...
1. Default Chapter

Hey ppl^_^ since my last GS story was an unfinished failure (If u wish to see my terrible first fic, go to my profile and find the story labelled "Sneaky!" but I would strongly advise u not to-_-) I decided to start a new one!  
  
This was originally going to be a humour fic called "Jenna in anger management" but eventually I came up with a better idea. This is the result^^  
  
Oh yes, I dun own Golden sun, if I did I would own both the games and it would have been made an anime series by now T_T if they can make Pokemon an anime why not Golden sun?!?! It has a story and characters that could take on Pokemon any day!! *Grumbles*  
  
Anyhoo, onward to the story!  
  
~*~  
  
A young girl stalked down the long hallway, her face was a thin mask of anger.  
  
-Stupid counsellor, what right did he have?!?! Placing me in this bloody  
therapy program, he has no right! I refuse to stay in this overly  
depressing lame excuse of a hospital!! –  
  
It wasn't exactly a hospital to be truthful; it was "saint Kraden's  
sanctuary for troubled abandon children" The word Children, was referred  
as young teenagers, Parentless war orphans, overly abused, troubled  
youths without families...  
  
The young girl, Jenna stared disdainfully at the room she had been given,  
  
"I hope you like it" one of the caretakers said, Jenna gave her a  
distasted sniff; the woman was all smiles and cotton candy in her  
opinion. Still, the room in itself wasn't a bad one, she decided as she  
flung the door closed as she heard the caretaker call a final message  
  
"Make sure you don't miss your first session tomorrow Jenna!"  
Jenna made no reply, she stared around the room, it was fairly plain, the  
walls, ceiling and floor where all white there was an oak closet to put  
her clothes, the bed was large, and very comfortable, Jenna admitted as  
she flopped onto it sighing in fatigue. It had been a long day, a long  
depressing day.  
  
-Well at least this place isn't practically broke, like the last one-  
she thought to herself, remembering with a shudder the last orphanage she  
had been placed in.  
  
-They shouldn't allow orphanages to reach that level, placing children  
in places like that, its wrong!, everything is so wrong, so unfair-  
  
She could feel her anger rising again,  
  
- Everything is so unfair!- the voice in her mind screamed again, she thought of the children she had known back at her old refuge, they had been much like her, from a family that couldn't afford and didn't want them, and they had been brought to a place that probably wasn't much better then their own homes.  
  
She had the feeling again, she wanted to smash something, she was always angry. Always. Ever since... she looked around her room desperately, something, anything that would make it all go away. The memories, the pain, but most of all the unbearable anger. Which was why she was here. The counsellors seemed to come to think it was dangerous for her to remain at the orphanage in her state, they had sent her here, where she could receive "professional help"  
  
And suddenly, all the anger was gone. It seemed to seep away under the weariness, she was so tired, her head dropped lazily to her blissfully soft pillow and she fell asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Ivan stared up at the blank, white ceiling, he was too afraid to sleep. If he slept, it would all come back, that terrible nightmare that was his father, looming over him in a towering rage, His father, whom every passing night, would take all his anger and grief out on him. Ivan didn't know where all the anger came from; he and his father had never been very close. For some reason though, he seemed to think that as a good excuse to beat him. Every night.  
  
He shivered, after all the years he had dealt with his father, he had always believed those harsh words, they had, after all come from his father, his guardian, who else would know him better then his father? Through the years he had come to believe that he deserved every blow he received, that he had no right to be alive.  
  
He curled himself into a ball and tried not to let sleep come  
  
- I don't want to go back to that place- he thought quivering in fear. That was where sleep took him, every night. Back to that small dirty room, that small dark corner, where there was no escaping the pain, no escaping those words that cut through him like knives.  
  
That was why he had been taken away. That was why he was here. No matter how many times the Counsellors tried to tell him it wasn't his fault, he wouldn't believe them.  
  
That was why they brought him here.  
  
- I deserved it all, it was all my fault, do I even know what? - He could no longer fight the sleep that was taking him.  
  
No! Please no! Anywhere but there!- but his pleas did no good, he drifted into sleep, and into the nightmare. The never ending Nightmare.  
  
~*~  
  
Sheba grinned in delight as she saw her new room,  
  
"Oh its so...so... white!" she smiled broadly, she bounded into her room,  
  
"And don't worry I wont forget about tomorrow!" she said smiling as she closed the doors. Sheba knew perfectly well why she was here... But she would rather not think about it, she was here now, and she would get the help she needed. She didn't have to dig up all that pain again, at least not until tomorrow.  
  
"Then I'll meet the others in my group too" she said to herself with a smile. "I cant wait to meet them, of course I'll have to be careful of what I say, caretaker Marie says so, some of them might not like it if I were too loud or too bouncy or..."  
  
A small frown appeared on her small face, she was talking to herself again. She knew it wasn't normal, the kids at her school used to laugh at her because of it. Sheba did a number of things that weren't to be considered normal, she had overheard her psychiatrist telling her doctor it was due to a terrible accident she had been in, she couldn't remember it, all she had was a vague memory of watching as a familiar seeming car drove away, leaving her alone.  
  
-Alone-...She shivered, she didn't like to be alone for too long... Suddenly  
the room was too quiet. She jumped onto her bed, closing her eyes tight,  
shutting it out.  
  
Don't leave me alone! Please please don't leave me!!! -  
A few tears leaked out of her closed eyes and down her cheek.  
  
Please... not alone... please...anything but alone... -  
  
Eventually her silent crying fell into sleep.  
  
By the next day she wouldn't remember. Wouldn't remember remembering.  
  
~*~  
  
Mia didn't like plain white rooms; they too much resembled the rooms in  
the hospital.  
  
Mia hated hospitals. She didn't hate doctors; she knew they where just  
doing their jobs, but she didn't like being around them, doctors,  
hospitals. That would have been the last thing her mother had seen.  
  
After the deaths of her brothers Justin and Alex, and then sister Megan,  
her mother had grown weaker and weaker, until her body started to fail  
her, and she became seriously ill.  
  
Mia didn't blame her mother for the illness; she knew she had been  
doing all she could to keep going for her daughter. But it had all been  
too much.  
  
Her father her brother and then her sister. It had only been a matter of  
time until her mother was taken too. But why hands she died too?  
  
-Why?, why didn't I die too? Why was I spared?-  
  
She brushed a few strands of blue hair off her face as she lay.  
  
"Tomorrow" she muttered, "tomorrow it will all start again"  
  
Tomorrow she would attempt to rebuild her life.  
  
~*~  
  
"Follow me, I'll take you to your room"  
  
Garet silently followed the old caretaker man, taking in his  
surroundings.  
  
It was a pleasant place, it had a neat organised look to it, the central  
area, where people where signed in, was small, it was roughly the size of  
a large bedroom, a desk up the back where a kind faced man signed in new  
patients. They came into another room where there were a few doors along  
the sides and an elevator down the end, on the second floor they  
encountered a long hallway with yet more doors, each with a number on it.  
These probably led to patient's rooms  
  
. Finally they came to a door with the number 67 on it, the caretaker man  
opened it for him.  
  
It was a plain white room with no more furnishings then a bed and a closet. This suited him fine; it was better then what he had grown up with.  
  
- Tomorrow... Tomorrow I suppose I'll have to go to that meeting thing - he thought to himself as he sat on his bed and stared at the wall.  
  
- And Then? I wonder how long they plan to keep me here, where will I go when I leave?-  
  
Garet had never really lived anywhere. Well, he used to live in an orphanage, but it had been a terrible place and he had ran away before he could discover what it was that seemed to break those children's spirits. He had speculated over it many times, but had come to the conclusion that he was happier not knowing.  
  
Perhaps by the time they let him go he would be old enough to get a job...  
  
He would worry about all that tomorrow, now he was tired and needed some sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Isaac strolled carelessly down the hall to his room; he had assured the  
caretakers he would be able to find it on his own. He had been in many  
places like this before and had come to learn they were all the same.  
  
13, 14, 15... -  
  
He counted mentally as he walked passed the doors, he wondered who was in them.  
  
17, 18, 19 -  
He opened the door, a plain white room with nothing more then a bed and  
closet to fill it. It was simple, that was fine, and he had no real  
need for possessions.  
  
He walked over to the bed and lay down, staring at the ceiling.  
  
Tomorrow...-  
  
He closed his eyes, sometimes sleep found him quickly; sometimes he hardly slept at all. But it wasn't important.  
  
Nothing was.  
  
Sleep found him.  
  
~*~  
  
Yeah... Kinda lame I know ^_^;; just 2 let u know, I wont be doing the whole fic from everyone's perspective, its mainly gonna be Mia, and sometimes maybe Jenna or Isaac. I just wanted to introduce them all in this way. Hope u liked it! Next chapter will come soon... hopefully^_^ 


	2. the first meeting and stuff happens

Hey I'm back again with another depressing chapter of "we need each  
other"  
*Reads reviews* thanks to "a Christian loser" yeah I'm wondering  
myself^_^;  
  
Really sorry it took me so long, I had all this chappie written then i  
changed my mind about some of the parts so i re-wrote them, plus I'm  
working on two separate fics right now so it'll be a little slow... BUT I  
HAVENT FORGOTTEN YOU!!  
  
Blackarrow92 thanks, Mudshipping? Valeshipping? I've heard of it, I think It's some sort of pairings code, I don't know much about it other then that though, I'm not quite sure yet though as far as pairings go, I'm planning on making it an I/M but who knows how it'll turn out?  
  
To Liz, I have no idea what a mudsdhip or a valeship is, but in answer to your question its an Isaac/Mia, and I might add something else...might... and I'm glad u enjoyed it^_^  
  
And Beans, thanks 4 the review, always appreciated! I'm glad u like it and hope u enjoy this chapter too!  
  
And Queendragongodess, thanks I'm glad u liked it. Yeah Mia is indeed a cool character ^_^ heh it took me while to think them all up, but hopefully it will all be worth it,  
  
And now on to the next chapter!  
  
~*~  
  
Mia was walking down the hallway. Today was the day. The "first day of the rest of her life" she came to a large oak door. This was the one. She took a deep breath and walked in.  
  
The room was practically blank. There was a circle of chairs in which various people where sitting, one of them seeming to be older then the rest, Mia guessed this was the therapist. He was a middle-aged man, with a round friendly face and black hair.  
  
"Aah, you must be the last. Welcome, come and sit down." His voice matched his face; kind patient and friendly. She anxiously walked over to them and found a seat next to an angry looking young girl with red auburn hair.  
  
"Now that we are all here," the man spoke smiling around at all of them, " we can begin. My name is Adrian Hammet. (Well I wasn't sure if Hammet was his first name or not0_0; so I just invented one) I want each of you in turn to tell us your name and a bit about yourself, we'll start with you"  
  
He turned his smiling face to the angry young girl sitting next to her, the girl; she glared at the man before standing up.  
  
"My name," it sounded as if somebody was forcing the words out of her, " is Jenna, my ma was a drug addict so I ended up being an addict too, my Dad was a jailbird convicted for murder, my brother ran away when I was six"  
  
Jenna all but threw herself back into her seat and glared fiercely at anyone who thought it wise to look in her direction.  
  
Mia supposed it was her turn, so she stood up.  
  
"My name is Mia... My family all died a few years ago, I'm here because I suffer from serious bouts of depression" Mia wasn't sure what to say next, so she sat down.  
  
The next to stand was a short blonde boy with large violet eyes that seemed to be fixed on his feet.  
  
"My name is Ivan" he mumbled "my mother died of cancer when I was three, my father..." he hesitated at the word "father" it was obvious he was still terrified of him, "my father was... violent..." he finished his sentence in a rush and sat down refusing to look at anyone.  
  
Next was a tall youth with red hair and a nervous smile. His name was Garet. He had run away from an orphanage when he was twelve, although, she didn't blame him. It sounded like an awful place. After him came a bouncy short blonde haired girl by the name of "Sheba" whose family had abandoned her a few weeks after a fatal car accident. Why exactly she was abandoned she didn't know, but as soon as she said it she frowned, sat down and began to mutter something about "problems" and " those awfull people in the suits".  
  
The last was a tall boy by the name of Isaac. Isaac appeared to be perfectly normal, although it made her uneasy how casual he was when explaining that his family had been killed in a terrorist attack, almost as if it hardly mattered to him anymore.  
  
As if nothing mattered anymore.  
  
Mia shivered inwardly, and realised he was staring at her. Mia blinked in surprise, how long had she been staring? He didn't seem to mind, or care, he merely smiled politely and shifted his gaze absently to Adrian Hammet. Not actually seeing him, or hearing for that matter. It made Mia wonder.  
  
~*~  
  
Jenna was in her room again, lying on her bed staring at the ceiling.  
  
- That seems to be all you can do around here - she thought grumpily, this stupid place. If her previous life hadn't been enough to kill her, the sheer boredom of this place would.  
  
She thought about how the first meeting had been. She had known from the second she laid eyes on that therapist, that she disliked him. He was too friendly, that smiling face seemed to patronise her, and she hated it. She hated everything.  
  
She jumped up suddenly deciding to go for a walk. "I'm not going to just LIE here doing nothing for the rest of the day," she said to herself angrily. Surely there had to be something else to do.  
  
She looked down the hall. So many doors, she wondered what kind of people, what kind of problems were hidden behind them. She started walking down one direction, hoping it would take her somewhere. ~*~  
  
Mia didn't return to her room once it was over.  
  
-What else is there to do? -  
  
She wondered, surely they weren't expected to just stay in their rooms all day. She walked down the hall; She didn't want to go back in there, only to be reminded of her mother, sister and brother. All in their deathbeds...  
  
She stopped, just thinking about them suddenly made her want to cry. It was foolish, but she couldn't help it, the memories... It hurt thinking about them all  
  
- Oh Megan, Alex, Mother, why? Why didn't I die too? -  
  
Mia leaned against the wall and her face in her hands; tears pouring down her face now.  
  
- It's not fair! I should have died instead! Why am I still here?!?! I don't want to be here! -  
  
~*~  
  
Isaac was staring blankly at the ceiling. He spent most of his time in his room. There wasn't much point in walking around this place; at least in here he could be alone.  
  
Through the silence he heard a faint sound, a frail, anguished sbbing noise, somewhere outside his door. He wondered who it was, he didnt move though, it didnt matter to him who they were, or why they were there. He remained motionless, continuing to do nothing. Waiting patiently for sleep, or for his body to acknowledge that he needed food, whichever came first.  
  
~*~  
  
Garet sat quietly in the "patients lounge" it was a large room where the resident patients of the refuge could go to spend their free time. It was a nice looking place, there were couches surrounding a coffee table, a television up the other end of the room, where there were some more couches, a bookshelf for anyone who wanted to read, and various other leisurely things for people to do.  
  
Garet was reading. He liked to read, it was a book called "the wheel of time" by Robert Jordan. (A Really good fantasy series which I highly recommend to ANYONE who likes to read^_^) Garet rarely spoke to anyone, mainly because he didn't trust anyone. That was something he had learned living on the streets. It was a tough way to live, but hey, life was tough. Somebody came bounding into the lounge, it was that girl Sheba. She took one look around the place and grinned to herself, she pranced joyously to the book shelf and began to search through it mumbling to herself " it has to be here somehwhere... saw it yesturday..." suddenly she made a sqeaky yelp of joy and pulled a large, thick looking book titled "the Taimar Triad" ( another great book series, much darker but totaly awsome read^^) she took a seat on a big, puffy red couch and began to read. Garet went silently back to his own book.  
  
~*~  
  
" AARGH!!! these bloody Hallways!!" Jenna all but screamed, she had been wandering aimlessly through the building for a bit less then an hour now, she didnt want to remain in her room, - I suppose they expect me to stay there untill I rot of boredom or something - She thought vehemenently. She thought she had passed somebody before, but she had been too concerned with where she was going to tell.  
  
Finally she leaned against the wal for a rest. " Damn this place!!!" she muttered under her breath. She didnt want to be here, but she didnt exactly have a choice.  
  
" Bloody Refuge being so bloody big, bloody social workers, think they know everything, Bloody Felix for getting me into this BLOODY MESS!" the last two words came out as a shout. She hated him! she hated him for leaving her when she had needed him, for getting her mixed up with those evil social workers. It was all his fault.  
  
- If i ever see that BLOODY wretch then ill... - Without realising she had started walking again.  
  
~*~  
  
Mia was dizzy, she didnt know how long she had been here for, or how long she had been crying for. Her hands were wraped tightly around herself, eyes still closed tightly, she feared if she opened them again the tears would come back.  
  
- Your such a fool girl- she though disparingly, - You cant even controll your own emotions properly, its no wonder you've ended up here- She drew herself in even further.  
  
Suddenly she heard somebody approaching, she would have run, back to her room where nobody would have to see her. But she couldent bring herself to move, and she was incredibally tired, not to mention the dizziness that prevented her from thinking too clearly.  
  
" Miss, are you alright?" she heard a soft voice inquire, a soft hand touched her shoulder gently. She opened her eyes, her vision was a little fuzzy from the tears, but she could still see well enough and what she saw shocked her so bad she very nealry collapsed.  
  
The man looked remarkably like Alex would have now. He was tall and rather masculine, had long blue hair and deep greeny blue eyes, but his voice...  
  
She realised how she must have looked and hastily rubbed her already sore eyes.  
  
" i'm..." she couldn't bring herself to say "fine" partly because she knew she wasnt, and partly because her throat ached.  
  
" what are you doing up so late? should you not be asleep like everyone else?" he looked very concerned, which truck Mia as strange, she harldy even knew him. Although it felt as though she had met him before...  
  
It hit her that it really was late, she looked around the dark halls - How long have i been here for?!?!- forcing her voice to work, she spoke.  
  
" i was... I couldent..sleep... So I.. decided to go for a walk" He seemed to accept that, even though it didnt explain why she had been crying. She suspected he knew that too, from the troubled look in his eyes, but he bothered her no further.  
  
" Why are you up so late?" she asked him. He gave her a knowing smile as he helped her from her place leaning against the wall.  
  
" Oh I like to take midnight walks myself, that way i don't get disturbed by the.. Other people who live here..."  
  
They talked as they continued down the hall, Mia realised she no longer felt that despairing pain inside her, it was oddly comforting being around this man. She felt... Safe.  
  
Eventually they came to her door. She felt tired again, she needed sleep.  
  
" well, thank you...uh..." Mia realised she still didn't knew his name.  
  
" My name is Picard" he told her as she opened her door.  
  
"thank you Picard, It was nice being in your company" he smiled at her again - Why do i get that funny feeling whenever he smiles like that?-  
  
" It was a pleasure meeting you to miss..."  
  
" Mia"  
  
" Mia, I hope we get the chance to talk again "  
  
With that he strode away. Mia watched him disappear into the dark hall before closing her door and collapsing onto her bed.  
  
She fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.  
  
~*~  
  
Lol I know, u r all thinking this'll be a Mia/Picard now... we shall see ne?  
  
There was no Ivan in this one, but don't worry, he'll be in the next...  
  
It seems I have changed my mind, its just too fun doing each and every perspective ehehe^_^  
  
And just so u know, i have never Played lost age, I have no idea who Picard is, i only knew him from the numerous ficcies i have read... I been wanting to se him in one of my stories 4 a while, but if i mess up his character now u knew why0_0  
  
sorry if this story aint that good.. Its my first drama fic.. Me used to humour... Perhaps eventually ill get better...  
  
Well Cya! DONT foRGET T REVIWWW!! 


	3. dreamsOo

I doubt anyone remembers this fic, I decided spontaneously to finish it why? I dunno... I still kinda like it... anyways... the story so far (incase you forgot and are to lazy to re-read) is the GS heroes are stuck in a special institution for children in need. Each of them have their own problems to deal with:, Jenna and her Anger, Mia and her depression, Ivan and his Paranoia (and great lack of self-worth... poor Ivan TT) Sheba and her mental instability, Isaac and... well.. I'm not gonna say but I think most people know what it is; and Garret with...uh... actually I'm not so sure if there IS anything wrong with himOo (he gets to be the normal one...yay) I suppose he's just here due to his lack of a family and the fact that there was nowhere else for him to go...yeah... anyways... on with the show!!

(oh and I'd like to warn you.. some.. of these stories are kinda far-fetched for something that's meant t be a reality story.. but its just a dumb story. Sooo whatever)

And no, I DON'T own Golden Sun. If I did then Mia and Isaac would have fallen in love...:: wanders away daydreaming::

--

"Mama?" a five year old Sheba called out.

"Mama? Mama!!" Her cries met only silence, the sun was slowly setting on the dusty road.

"Mama!! Mamaaa!!" the tiny girl sat down. Mama would be back. Mama was always back. She hoped it would be soon, it was getting cold. Sheba felt lonely.

"Mama...Mama...Mama" she began to call softly into the horizon. Nobody heard her.

Nobody came. Sheba was alone in the cold. Sitting next to the road. "Mama!" she tried once more, desperately raising her voice. Mama wouldn't leave her here. Mama would hear her. Mama would come.

But she never came. Sheba was alone.

Her eyes came open. Somehow she had fallen off her bed and was now lying on the floor. Her eyes were open, but she saw nothing. It was dark, she was cold. "Mama..." she whimpered softly into the night, still believing she was lying next to the lonely, dusty road that had taken away her Mama.

--

Ivan cried out wordlessly as the blow sent him crashing to the ground. "It's your fault she's gone" that deep dark voice growled, it was so cruel, so frightening, so full of hatred.

Ivan whimpered. "I'm sorry..." he choked; his words only rewarded him with a hard kick. "No... Your not. You don't care. How could you care?" the voice asked him darkly. "I..." Ivan couldn't respond to that. His throat hurt too much. Every muscle and bone in his small body ached, he wished it would stop, he wanted to just black out. "You don't care that she's gone, you don't care that it was your fault either. Filthy little wretch"

Ivan whimpered again, those words hurt worse then the unstoppable blows did. He was right. His father was right, it was his fault. His mother never would have gotten sick if it weren't for him, he deserved this. He deserved to die.

He listened as his father stormed away muttering darkly, slamming the small door to his room after him. Ivan sniffed to himself as he attempted to drag himself into the small dark corner he spent most of his time occupying. "I'm sorry" he cried softly, the cold, wet tears streaming down his bruised face. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." he'd repeated those words more often then he could count, it was like a dull, tuneless lullaby that sent him into a dazed hazy sleep for a few hours. At least, before his father came back again. Everything went black.

"...I'm Sorry" his eyes slowly opened into the darkness of the small white room. The aching pain was gone, but he could still hear his father's harsh words in the silence of the room "it's your fault she's gone. Your fault" Ivan cuddled himself tightly under the blankets, staring dully into the dark. "It's my fault" he told himself quietly.

--

"Is Da going to be alright?" Isaac asked his mother worriedly as the doctors sadly pulled a white sheet over his fathers pale rigid face. He watched her stare after him desperately before looking down at him. She wouldn't lie, no matter how bad it was, he knew she wouldn't.

"Isaac... Darling" she muttered pulling him into an embrace. "Daddy... is going to a better place" she pulled away slightly to look into his eyes, "a better place up in the sky, where people fly with white feathered wings and sing to the stars" her eyes where bloodshot and rimmed with tears. Isaac understood what she was saying to her, he may only be seven, but he wasn't naïve.

"Da's dying" he said quietly, trying to make himself believe that he'd never see his father again. "He's dead" his mother corrected quietly, pulling him close again. "But we still have each other Isaac" Isaac nodded in acceptance. His father was dead. He felt the terrible grief, threatening to pull him under, but he refused to be taken, his mother still needed him to be strong after all. She was right. They did still have one another.

It all faded into blackness, and suddenly, he was sitting by his mother's bed in the hospital, not a year later. The radiation that had gotten into her body the day she'd desperately pulled her husband out of the remains of the bombed building was finally taking its toll. She was dying, just like his Father.

Isaac said nothing as he sat next to her, she was sleeping. He wasn't going to wake her. She only felt pain when he was awake, and Isaac didn't want his Mother to have to suffer. Just let her sleep, if she died in her sleep there would be no pain for her. The thought brought back the terrible grief, so much worse now. Mother was dying; there was nothing he could do. Soon he'd be alone.

"Isaac" Isaac snapped back to attention immediately now that his mother was awake. "Ma?" She sighed sadly "You poor thing. How could we have done this to you?"

"Not your fault" Isaac replied honestly, he knew it wasn't, they loved him and would never want to leave him alone. She smiled "you'll be brave for us wont you Isaac?" he nodded "you'll keep on marching, like a strong soldier" he smiled slightly, something he hadn't done in a long time. "We'll be watching over you, Isaac" and with that, she closed her eyes again.

"Ma?" Isaac breathed softly, no response. She had gone back to sleep. After a few hours her breathing slowed, and eventually stopped.

She was gone.

Isaac wondered when he'd regained his consciousness; he wondered how long it would take to get him back t sleep again. The dream hadn't bothered him. Not anymore, it was after all just a dream, a shadow of a memory. He sighed and rolled onto his side, closing his eyes, waiting for sleep to take him again.

--

Mia stared up at the ceiling of her room, it was late, she knew she should be sleeping, but she couldn't. The memory kept coming back ad replaying itself in her head... The last conversation shed had with Alex. She closed her eyes.

"Alex..." she muttered.

"...Alex?" a small, pale girl asked her brother

"Yeah Mia?" came the reply. They where both in the hospital, Alex lying in the bed, staring at her sleepily, she was seated on a chair next to his bed. She hated hospitals, but Alex needed her, so she was here.

"Are you... scared?"

"Of what?"

"Of..." she couldn't bring herself to say it. Not in front of him, not like this. Her eyes went to the floor. "Of Dying?" he filled in for her. She nodded silently.

"Not really I mean, I was before, y'know the operation and all... But not now. I dunno, it doesn't seem all that bad" Alex grinned at her in the darkness, it still surprised her, how laid back her older brother could be at times. "I mean, I'm gonna die someday, I suppose if its sooner other then later it just means I wont have to spend thirty odd years waiting for it to happen"

When he put it that way it seemed so practical, as if he where talking about a job that had to be done. She wasn't sure how that made her feel, she should probably be relieved that Alex wasn't spending his last few days worrying about the inevitable, but at the same time it made her feel foolish about worrying about it herself. In just a few days, she would lose her older brother. Lose the last and closest one in her family.

One by one, the sickness had taken them all, Little Megan, Justin, even Mother and Father. It had been so hard, but Alex had always been there. Strong, loving Alex had always been there to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be alright. Soon she would lose him too. Soon there would be no more Alex to hold her hand in the darkness. Shed have to go to one of those horrible foster homes, they thought they could replace her family with strangers, Loving strangers, yes, caring strangers, but still strangers. Mia didn't want Strangers, no matter how loving and caring they were. Mia wanted Alex.

"Mia" He said suddenly, Mia was pulled from her thoughts to see him looking at her sadly and realized the thoughts had made her cry. "I'm sorry Alex" she said quietly, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "Don't be sorry" he said, "There's no reason for you to be sorry, I know your scared" he smiled at her reassuringly "I'm gonna be fine, I'm not scared of death, it just means I don't have to sit here and be bored in hospital all day, surrounded by those boring old men in white coats" Alex grimaced slightly and Mia giggled a little. After that they began talking of lighter subjects, but Mia felt a shadow lingering in her heart. Soon, soon he'd be gone, then it would all be over for her.

--

Garret smiled to himself as he watched the orphanages security give up search and leave. He was free. He climbed out of the garbage can he'd been hiding in and began walking away. Where? It didn't matter, anywhere was better then that place, he'd rather go hungry and sleep on the cold wet stone of the streets then spend another night in that dark, lonely room or eat that grey messy stuff they called mashed potatoes.

Even if he died out here tonight, even if some strange street people came and killed him for the little money he had, he'd still prefer it to that orphanage. He shook his head sadly to himself, places like that should be illegal, they probably where. He wondered how they got past the inspectors, probably by pampering a select few children then hiding the rest of them in the large cellar.

It wasn't his problem anymore; he told himself firmly as he searched for someplace he could buy some food. He'd escaped; he needed to concentrate on keeping himself alive. Unconsciously, he wondered how long it would take the social workers to find him. He knew they would eventually; he had no problems with that, As long as they didn't put him in anther orphanage. "If they do ill just run away again" he told himself quietly as he continued to roam the street.

It had taken them about three years to finally get it through their heads that he had a strong hate for orphanages, Garret thought with a grin as he stared out the window in his room- it was locked, of course. Just incase whoever was occupying the room had any suicidal tendencies- Three years of being placed in and escaping, until finally, they'd take him here. Deciding that whatever his 'problem' was, the people here could resolve it. Well they could try as much as they liked, soon enough they would realize there was nothing to solve, then they'd send him to another orphanage. 'Unless of course I'm old enough to get a job by then' he mused. Still contemplating these things, he turned away from the window and dragged himself back to bed.

--

Jenna sat on the porch of her house, clutching at her small black haired dolly. Shed had it for almost as long as she could remember.

"He's not coming back" Her mother slurred drunkenly from the kitchen. Jenna bit her lip and forced herself not t reply. 'She's wrong hell be back. Felix will come'

"He's run away. Ungrateful brat" her mother disappeared into the living room, a small thud was heard. 'She passed out again' Jenna thought in disgust. How Jenna hated her mother, sometimes she just wanted to kick at her and scream and bite her. The only thing that stopped her from doing so was Felix.

"Mom just struggles a lot" he'd said to her sadly one afternoon, after they'd had t listen to her shriek about how ungrateful and useless they where before she'd gone to her room to dope herself to sleep. "And she thinks Alcohol and drugs are the solution to her problems" Jenna snorted, "I hope they kill her" shed replied. "No you don't" he'd answered. Jenna had known he was right, but she still hated her for what she did to her and Felix.

Jenna gripped her doll tighter and waited. She glanced down at her hand; it was a slightly yellow color. Shed once asked Felix why she was such a funny color when nobody else was; he'd explained it to her. "Well... Mom was taking lots of drugs when she had you" he'd said uncomfortably, "Y'know, like Marijuana and stuff like that" Jenna knew how much it distressed her older brother that she had to deal with these things at such a young age, it only made her even angrier at her mother for causing all this in the first place. "Well... because of that, some of the drugs kinda got into you when you were still in her tummy, and it discolored your skin"

Jenna hadn't replied, but he'd known what shed been thinking, she even knew he'd known. She was permanently marked as a druggie's daughter. Neither of them ever spoke of it, but it had upset them both. Jenna averted her gaze from her hand, not wanting to remember that anymore.

"He's coming" she told nobody in particular. 'He has to come. ...Felix... I need you.'

But Felix had never come home. Jenna remembered she had sat there, all night. By about three in the morning the tears had began t flow down the Childs face as it dawned on her that her mother had been right. Her cruel, alcoholic monster of a mother had been right.

Felix had run away from her.

"Felix... how could you..." It had been that moment, that the tiny demon that had been growing inside her erupted in an explosion of anger and hatred at everything, almost blinding her from all other emotions. She felt only the hate.

"How could you..."

Jenna hadn't realized she'd spoken the last words until shed finished saying them. She rolled over n her bed angrily, not wanting to remember what had happened afterwards, shed ripped the head of her doll and thrown it as far as she could, shed fled to her room ad proceeded to destroy everything and anything she could lay her hands on. That had been the first of her many, many violent outbursts.

That was why she was here now. "Damn... Felix... this is all your fault" she muttered angrily to herself again as she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep.


End file.
